Fresh figs and peaches shine in this fig-peach salad with pecans and feta. The marinated, toasted pecans and savory feta complement an herbed balsamic honey vinaigrette. Delicious and naturally gluten-free.
When figs are in season in the summer I count on being able to get good peaches at the same time. Figs and peaches complement each other so well! And, they are delicious with this Herbed-Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette, which has a little sweetness from the balsamic vinegar and some from the honey.
The only cooking in this fig-peach salad with pecans and feta is to toast the pecans with some of the dressing. The balsamic vinaigrette caramelizes during the baking process making the pecans truly addictive.
Arrange baby salad greens on a platter, and prepare the feta cheese, sliced bacon (if you are including it), wedges of fruit and dressing. This is also a great excuse for me to show off my salad servers from Bali!
I find that we eat more of a salad if I sprinkle all the toppings onto the bed of spring greens, but if your family prefers to customize their salad, serve everything separately. I promise, though, that the flavors in this salad will make you swoon.
What variations on fig-peach salad with pecans and feta could I make?
For a vegan salad, omit the meat-based bacon and use Violife feta rather than dairy.
For a more substantial salad, add some protein such as the turkey bacon we used here or shredded chicken, or chickpeas.
Tip: If using chickpeas, I suggest marinating them in the salad dressing for an hour before adding them to the salad.
Careful - if you are like us, you might get a little carried away when putting the toppings onto the greens. It all looks so good, it's tempting to just keep layering on more.
The flavors and textures in the salad are a great balance of sweet, salty, tart, crunchy and creamy. I have estimated the number of servings this amount will provide as enough for two, but it completely depends on whether you are serving the salad with another dish and your own personal preferences.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #amealinmind on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with.
Enjoy,
Beth
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Fig-Peach Salad with Pecans, Feta and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Pecans:
- 1 cup of whole or broken pecans
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette/marinade
For the Salad:
- 3 quartered figs
- 1 sliced peach
- 6 slices of turkey bacon optional
- 2 ounces of crumbled feta
- 4 cups of spring mix salad greens
- Basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- For the Pecans: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Combine the pecans and 2 tablespoonfuls of the balsamic-honey vinaigrette. Allow to marinate in a bowl for 20 minutes while the oven is preheating.
- Place marinated pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet in the oven and toast for 15 minutes until just slightly crisped. Allow to cool.
- For the Salad: place the spring greens onto a platter and arrange the figs, peaches and optional turkey bacon on top.
- Top off with the balsamic pecans and feta cheese. Garnish with basil sprigs or leaves.
- Serve with the balsamic dressing on the side, or dress the whole salad before serving.
Notes
Please pin for later!
Taleen | Just As Tasty
This looks delicious! I love adding pecans and feta to my salads, but have never tried with peaches and bacon. I can only imagine how yummy those flavors are together!
Beth
It's delicious and we love the salty flavors with the sweet - so good.
Annie Mason
I plan to try this because I love pecans and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I will leave off the feta, however. Nice post and great pictures.
Beth
Thanks, Annie. I myself enjoy the feta, but my daughter-in-law, who doesn't tolerate dairy, uses Violife (vegan) feta. But there are really enough flavors in this without it!
Ana Smith
Very rich salad. I really love the addition of pecans to it.
Beth
The pecans give a great flavor and crunch. We love it.
Diane
I love berries in salads - I have never thought to include peaches or fig before! Thanks for the recipe!
Beth
Diane, if you like berries in salads you will love this - and the two go together really well.
Kez
I love the idea of pecans, (or any nuts really), in a salad! What an interesting recipe
Beth
Thanks, Kez - we're really big on nuts in salads - it just makes the greens even better.
Anindya Sundar Basu
I love all the flavours here . Will like to try this someday . Thanks for the recipe
Beth
Thank you, we look forward to these flavors all summer so we can enjoy them together.
Michelle
This looks so good. I want to have this for lunch.
Beth
Michelle, it makes a great lunch or dinner, depending on how many toppings you pile on!
Mosaics Lab
yummmmm!!! This look so good! I can't wait to make it, I love fig in a salad...
Beth
Thanks, I enjoy figs in a salad, too, the texture and flavor are so good in one.
Mrs d
I’ve never tried figs, your post has inspired me to try them! I’m always looking for new salad recipes. Thanks for sharing
Beth
Fresh figs are one of my son's favorite treats, and we get so few of them in Hawaii that I'm always looking for new ways to enjoy them in that short season. I hope you'll like this one, thanks!